The present invention relates generally to analysis of living and non-living systems, and more particularly, to a system and method for analyzing systems using musical perception sound analysis.
Living and non-living systems are complex. Analyzing, e.g., performing diagnostics, for complex systems can be complex and/or inaccurate. For example, the human body is an extremely complex living system. Modern medicine has provided diagnostic machinery capable of measuring, monitoring and displaying body parameters, such as blood pressure, heart beat, and brain waves.
However, in many situations, these parameters are simply indicators of the existence of the underlying problem. Trained medical personnel with vast experience working with similar patients become attuned to the sounds made by their patients. Based on their training and experiences, some of these medical personnel are able to correlate changes in the sounds the patients make with changes in their conditions. However, such knowledge is difficult to quantify and use with any degree of accuracy. Thus, it is also difficult to teach such knowledge to others.
The inventor has discovered a correlation between vibrations living and nonliving systems make in response to changes in their conditions. Quantified in musical terminology, these changes may be quantified, taught and used to train systems to perform system diagnostics.
The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems identified above.
In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for analyzing a system using musical perception sound analysis is provided. The apparatus includes a transducer for receiving acoustic events generated by the system and an analysis module coupled to the transducer for receiving the acoustic events and for monitoring the system as a function of a set of musical perception parameters and responsively identifying a presence of a predetermined condition.
In another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for determining a set of musical perception parameters of a system for use in performing musical perception sound analysis is provided. The apparatus includes a transducer for sensing acoustic energy of the system under a first condition and responsively generating a first acoustic event signal and for sensing acoustic energy of the system under a second condition and responsively generating a second acoustic event signal. The apparatus also includes an analog to digital converter and a computer-based analyzer. The analog to digital converter is coupled to the transducer and is adapted to receive the first and second acoustic event signals, digitize the first and second acoustic event signals, and responsively generate first and second acoustic digital signals. The computer-based analyzer is coupled to the analog to digital converter and is adapted to receive the first and second acoustic digital signals and to responsively generate first and second musical data signals and a graphic display of the first and second acoustic digital signals and/or the first and second musical data signals. The computer-based analyzer is adapted to assist a user in listening to the first and second acoustic digital signals and responsively identifying at least one aural event and in reviewing the graphic display corresponding to the at least one aural event and responsively determining the set of musical perception parameters.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a method for analyzing a system using musical perception sound analysis is provided. The method includes the steps of recording a first acoustic event of the system under a first condition and a second acoustic event of the system under a second condition and analyzing the first and second acoustic events and responsively determining a set of musical perception parameters. The method further includes the step of monitoring the system as a function of the set of musical perception parameters and responsively identifying a presence of the second condition.
In still one more aspect of the present invention, a method of determining a set of musical perception parameters of a system for use in performing musical perception sound analysis is provided. The method includes the steps of sensing acoustic energy of the system under a first condition and responsively generating a first acoustic event signal and sensing acoustic energy of the system under a second condition and responsively generating a second acoustic event signal. The method also includes the steps of receiving the first and second acoustic event signal, digitizing the first and second acoustic event signals, and responsively generating first and second acoustic digital signals and receiving the first and second acoustic digital signals and responsively generating first and second musical data signals. The method further includes the steps of receiving the first and second acoustic digital signals and the first and second musical data signals and generating a graphic display of the signals, listening to the first and second acoustic digital signals and responsively identifying at least one aural event, and reviewing the graphic display of the signals corresponding to the at least one aural event and determining the set of musical perception parameters.